False Peaks

Anyone who has ever been on Trek knows all about this subject. False peaks is a term used when you are trekking up the side of a mountain, look up and see what appears to be the top, then, upon nearly reaching this "peak", another peak comes up from behind it. It is really depressing to be honest. The goal is almost reached and then you realize that there is still quite a hike ahead of you.

I think this happens to Christians everyday. We go along working toward what we think will be our summit. This is the point where we can stop, relax, and look around. We can take in the view from the top of the world. On a side note, the view from the summit of a mountain cannot be matched. Anyway, we are working so hard and we look ahead to that point where the work will be over, where it will be easy. For a lot of teenagers it is summer. We think about how we will be with our "youth group friends" and not sinning will be super easy. For me it was Harding. I figured that it would be easy not to sin because this school makes it so hard to sin. For you, maybe it's your marriage day, your retirement day, or some other occasion that looks like the point where the work will be over.

Unfortunately, this day never comes. Another summit always comes up behind it. Another false peak for us to set our eyes on. I was just as much a sinner during each summer of my high school years. I am just as much a sinner here at Harding. I will be a sinner when I'm married and when I retire. It will never be easy.

So where is our summit. Where is the peak on which we should fix our eyes. I think the answer is Jesus. We are told to fix our eyes on Him as He perfects our faith by enduring the cross. The great news is that He knows that we cannot reach the summit on our own. We cannot be perfect as He is perfect. But isn't that amazing? While we were still sinners, Christ died for us! He sees us on this never ending hike and reaches down to pull us up. And now, to use one of Paul's ideas, we are His. And if He died on the cross while we were sinners then how much more grace will He pour out now that we are His.

Never will the day come when it is easy not to sin. But we can hike each day knowing that we have been given a free ride to the summit. We can live knowing that we are in Christ.

Nothing comes to mind

Apparently, I am an idiot. I have no way of seeing the truth through my emotion. I am used and abused and I just keep coming back to my abuser. You know what? I don't believe that. I am loved and there are things that only I know. People should really consider their sources before they present their gossip-fed opinion to me as fact. If you want me to vent, here it is. You are wrong. You don't know what you are talking about and the only thing that the person you trashed says about you is that you are sweet and they love you. You have no comprehension of the relationship that you are trashing and you can't make judgements from the outside. If you are right, if I am abused. Then what about the rest of you out there. Why haven't you said anything to save me from myself.

I am so sick of trying to be what everyone needs all the time. I can't do it anymore. I am not able to be what you all need because your needs conflict. I am hurt I am pondering I am wondering if I am right or if you are.

If you are reading this and don't have a clue what I'm talking about then just ignore it. This is a "me" post. Sometimes this blog is the only thing I have that is all about me and tis was on my heart so here it is. I have a real post coming. It's in the works so sorry for all the cryptic stuff.

Grace and works and race running

It seems like the eternal question among Christ followers is: If we are saved by grace, what's the point of good works? And, if good works are pointless because of grace, how can anyone fall away? The relationship between grace and living righteously has been questioned since the beginning of the church. "Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? By no means!" "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast." "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

What are supposed to make of all this. We need to have faith. We need God's grace. We apparently need some action to accompany our faith. It's all quite confusing. Well, my bible teacher gave us a metaphor I have never heard before. He said that it's like God has already declared us perfect. We are not going to live life perfectly. Who among us can, even if they do everything else, fulfill Matthew 5:48? (Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.) No one can be perfect but God says that, in his eyes, we already are. It is as if we are getting ready for a race that looks very difficult and God says "I'm giving you the gold medal, now go run like a winner." We already have the win but how much harder would you run with this new confidence that you are going to win.

Christians- You are going to win. In fact, you've already won, now go race like it. One of my favorite favorite sayings is "We don't do works to be saved, but because we're saved" That is exactly what this is. What better way to thank your Father for his love and grace then to live by His law, to honor Him with your actions? Lastly, don't be discouraged when you mess up because you will mess up. Repent and go on. Jesus came to earth and died on a cross for you when you were lost in sin, why would you expect less from Him now that you are a washed in His blood?

For you

I know it's tough. Many people look at you and, in your eyes, judge you. You want to fit in, you want to find love. You want to be what you think they want you to be. The truth is, they can never love you like I can. The love you are rejecting from those closest to you is real, it will fill you if you just allow it to. The love you are questioning the most is the strongest, it sacrificed for you. The path you are walking down is going to lead you to a place you don't want to be. All the answers are in front of you. My prayer is that you come back to the Father. That you humble yourself and realize that you have been wrong. That you realize what being "cool" is. It's not fitting in, it's finding love from those around you. From people who accept you for who you are and want you to be a better person. I pray that you find comfort in the arms of your Savior and that, no matter the cost, God uses me to save you. I love you with every piece of my heart but He loves you more. My prayer is that He breaks your heart so He can work through you just as He is working through me.

Sorry this is so random but it was on my heart and that's what I started the blog for. I wrote this with a specific person in mind. I'm sure it fits someone you know. Apply it to them and pray for them. Then go talk to them. Let God use you because if you don't say anything how can you be sure someone else will? You take the initiative. Start the conversation then let God speak.

I love you all

Moby Dick

This is a hypothetical story that my bible techer presented. He said that he heard it from a professor at ACU but I can't remember his name.

Imagine you are a senior in college. It's January of your last year at school and you have worked extremely hard for your degree. And not only are you set to get your degree but, once you graduate, there is a summer internship lined up for you. You worked very hard for the internship and, if you get it, you are almost guaranteed the job offer the following fall. This is a great job, 6 figures straight out of college. Your hard work is finally going to pay off.

Then, your advisor calls you in and says that he messed up your schedule and you need a Comp 1 credit to graduate. So, you end up stuck in a class (full of freshman no doubt) that you hate and will not ever need in your career. The first day comes and you find out that the class is over Moby Dick. Great, just great. You hate Moby Dick. You dont know anything about whaling nor do you want to know. You also find out that there will be no quizzes, tests, or assignments of any kind, just a final over Moby Dick. So you decide that it doesn't really matter, you just need a D and you can graduate. You know that you are definately not going to read the book. That's out from the start, but you have to pass. What you will do is watch both movie versions and, because you're an overachiever, read the cliffnotes.

The day of the final arrives and you are feeling pretty good. The teacher hands out the test and it simply reads:

Did you read Moby Dick?

Pass or fail right there. Yes or no. How many would honestly put no? Mr. Guy's point was that in our society it is no longer taken for granted that a Christian would say no. He said that even Christian society promotes that from the top, you can do the most good. If you have the most power, you can do the most work for God. Ironically, Christ had all the power in the universe and He did the ultimate good when He gave it up on the cross. He(Mr. Guy) said that in that moment you are called to be a truth-teller or a liar. A righteous man or a sinner. He said that ultimately we have to believe that our life is in God's hands.

Here's where my thoughts come in. The reason we would write yes is because we look at the situation and say "God wants me to be in that position with the internship. He wanted me to just read the book and now, if I write no, God's plan for me is ruined." We make the horrible mistake of thinking that when we mess up, we have to make up for it to get back on God's track for us. We think that God cannot compensate for our error. The truth is God has called us to be holy, pure, and blameless. He says that those who know the right they should do and don't do it sin. We know to be righteous. Even if it cost us everything we have worked for, we are called to be righteous. God can work through our shortcomings. In a bad situation, God can make good if we trust him.

Very often I find myself wondering about God's plan for me, my life, my wife. But the thing I'm beginning to realize is that no matter what I do God will work through me if I let Him. No matter if I end up in a mission field, building some elaborate machine, developing efficient ways to provide water around the globe, or designing roller coasters for Six Flags, God has a plan for me that branches from that.

Thanks for reading post your thoughts...love you all and miss you all(unless ur at hu)

Random

Here's a random thought from my comm. class...What came first, thought or language? it seems simple enough but then you start thinking about it and its quite wierd. Can you think if you don't know a language? I know I think in english. Or, without being taught a language, will thought give birth to language? I don't know.

Did you know that Mark 1:1 could be considered a play on words and attack on Augustus Caesar. The Greeks would carve "Augustus Caesar God Son of God" into stone so Mark's first verse "Jesus Christ, the Son of God" proclaims that a new king has come who is over caesar. That's some thoughts from bible class.

Anyway this is my first blog so let me know what you think i probably wont post everyday but whenever I have a thought I'll try to put it up so I can get some feedback.